1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power generator that floats on the surface of the sea or the like to generate electric power using waves.
2. Description of the Related Art
The technology of generating electric power with use of the energy of waves emerging on the surface of the sea is known as so-called wave power generation.
In the wave power generation technology, there is a swinging plate system in which a swinging plate is hung in a water chamber open to the travel direction of waves so as to be swung forward and backward with the use of standing waves emerging in the water chamber.
This system achieves high power generation efficiency because kinetic energy and potential energy of waves can be entirely and efficiently transduced to electric energy (for example, “Wave power generation for practical application”, Tomiji WATABE, POWERSHA Inc., May 25, 2009, pp. 34-57).
The power generation efficiency can be further improved by adopting a floating water chamber and suppressing the swinging motion of the water chamber itself caused by waves (JP-A-2005-69212).
In this conventional technology, the swinging plate system achieves excellent power generation efficiency and is suitable for power generation of high capacitance. However, this system requires large equipment as a whole and is therefore not quite applicable as a facility of low capacitance.